Show the honorable uncle lancy lanc JW A 0 bobbi morrill co by ETHEL HUESTON service SYNOPSIS lett left orphans by a tragic automobile accident which claimed the lives of their mother and father three sisters helen adele and limpy are visited by their aunt olympia Olymp la politically minded wife of senator delaporte CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 fw what kind of an exciting course asked aunt olympia who had hung on lampys every word 1 I dont know exactly admitted limpy but the more exciting the better stage setting or dress designing or acting or play writing have you any talent tor for any ot of those things demanded aunt olympia 1 I dont think so said limpy honestly but everyone says they are very exciting and I 1 may discover some latent talent not yet suspected even by me anyhow I 1 wont go to college and I 1 wont teach school and you wont get a share of the insurance till youre eighteen lim apy Y helen said uneasily brother know yuton will have charge of that you well it if he wont give me the money for an exciting course in something ill take a business course persisted limpy 11 you must go to college limpy said helen and adele must finish and then decide what she wants she will be older then and will know better what she really wants girls began aunt olympia in a voice that had gone up two tones in pitch in her emotional condition she alternately jabbed her wet eyes with her fingers and then tell fell from habit to a furious massage of her under chin quite unaware that she did either girls you know your mother and I 1 were sisters we were closer than sisters we were almost like a couple of sections of one soul when we were young that is we seen much of each other the last twenty years but we never changed now you know girls I 1 have things pretty nice with the senator and ing tons a lovely town full of buildings and and saddle paths and golf courses a very nice town we any children of our own and no fault of ours either though its thrown up to us plenty during campaigns that the best we have done tor for posterity is a couple of pedigreed pups but its always been a great grief to the senator and me and if you girls would come and make us a nice long visit and and live with us a while you might get to like it in time limpy could go to a girls school right there and live at home got good schools in wash washington ington and it as it if we afford it helen could get rested up after her operation as her father wished and you could all take time to get over this terrible shock and get your feet on the ground again washington itself is an education everybody 2 says washington is a liberal education too liberal some say but an education anyhow think what an experience it would be tor for you three young things to live for a while in the town where great national figures like andrew jackson grover cleveland and woodrow wilson lived and did and died for their country and sent their voices ringing down the corridor of aimel the girls who had gazed wide eyed and speechless at this surprising proposal smiled faintly at that but aunt olympia what would the senator think having you plunk three large sized orphan nieces down on him like that hed love it who she countered quickly especially pretty oneal ones I 1 see adele is still the best looking but all right youre all good looking eno enough ush and beauty everything I 1 sometimes think she added honestly tl that at in most cases it seems is be plenty you know girls she added pathetically swabbing absentmindedly absent mindedly at her chin 1 I adored your mother and she loved M me el and id like and ana I 1 think shed like to have her children with me as my very own for a while she knows how I 1 felt about those children I 1 have and I 1 know shed like to lend me hers and you never can tell what might come of it il everybody goes to washington some time or another you can meet anybody there rich men poor men diplomats congressmen the place is lousy with congressmen both incumbent and ex no one knows what great good things might come of your being there with me what do you think of it she asked eagerly we are so surprised we cant think at all said helen but we do think it is wonderful of you to ask us and it would certainly be a marvelous opportunity for adele and limpy we could pay our expenses with the insurance money you pay nothing with that insurance sur ance money zou you save that insurance money for emergencies as adele says it if you come with me you come as my own children and the senator pays the bills and I 1 will say for the senator hes got money and hes willing to spend it hes no except maybe on taxes well is it all settled then not quite settled said helen smiling we decided there are so many things to consider and you asked the senator you talk to him about it when you go home and let us know how he feels when I 1 go home but youre going with me helen shook her head not unless you stay till the close of the semester lampys got to finish high school that will give the senator plenty of time to decide how he feels about the idea aunt olympia gave a derisive snort it takes him no time at all for me to make up my mind she said ill call him up right now and settle it aunt olympia got the senator on a long distance call to washington lie he had bad been in bed and asleep but he answered cheerfully enough you girls come here whispered aunt olympia you listen tor for yourselves she was very sure of the senator hello del she boomed heartily into the transmitter got you out of bed eh 1 I quite asleep he assured her politely del I 1 want to ask your advice about something the senator coughed faintly over the telephone he knew what that meant olympia had made up her mind she never asked his advice until she had reached a conclusion del what do you think of my bringing these poor dear little children back to washington to live with us a while the senator cleared his throat wait till I 1 wipe my glasses he said hes so tickled hes crying she whispered loudly to the girls the way he cries he wipes his glasses olympia the senator said and he spoke brokenly tor for he was deeply moved the best idea you ever had in your life of course our home is their home of course they are our children from this on who has a better right to them than we have ill get things ready for them right away IU ill call hilda after all what is a home without children aunt olympia began to cry ly from pure joy well all right you bring them right along ouie ollie ill go down first thing in the morning and get them some tennis rackets and bicycles since when you idiot do young ladies play tennis and ride bicycles in the dead of winter so too he admitted fee ee bly then he brightened esl what IU ill get them skates are they too big for sleds del you get nothing till I 1 get home you get nothing and you do nothing you leave this to me they just wanted me to find out it if you want them they dont want to impose on you want therril he ejaculated impose on me why the very ideal idea let me speak to them he said in his st ernest senatorial voice helen here helen said aunt olympia triumphantly you can see he wants youl you he wants to speak to you del are you there del this Is helen ashes the oldest this is heleni helen helen my dear child are you there yes senator helen my child my children tor for I 1 am speaking to you all you dont know how bow happy your aunt and I 1 are to have you come and live with us you come right along what train are you taking helen turned to her aunt he wants to know what train youre taking give me the receiver olympia charged back into the conversation afflic P y mra are they too big for sleds we dont know what train were taking the girls cant come tor for a couple of weeks why not he demanded testily why put off till next week what should have been done long ago because limpy flunked her math ill send you a telegram del and she hung up the receiver with a triumphant ai air r you can see he wants you he sounded very nice said helen Y yes es hes nice As senators go I 1 think hes particularly nice if he could just break himself of that silly habit of coughing instead of making a remark and wiping his glasses instead of bursting right out into manly tears it would be an improvement pro but hes nice like the senator 1 I I 1 really dont know what to say aunt olympia said helen distractedly tract edly it is so important of course its important dont say anything just think it over and then come all think of dear little limpy herel think of adele this may be your last chance to see the real inside goings on in washington for it if what we hear from home is true the senator is due tor for a fadeout tadeous this tall fail and this will be our last year in washington and then suddenly before their eyes an amazing transformation took place from being tearful fond and persuasive aunt olympia became rigid and tense bones or very hard muscles appeared as if by ay magic under tier her ample curves her e hands hand clenched and her dim pies ales disappeared into knotty knuckles the left corner of her mouth tightened lightened and curled upward the lid id of her left eye went down until the lashes touched her cheek the girls amazed almost fright ined ened stared in speechless wonder tor for a moment then helen found voice you must be very tired auntie lets go to bed we can talk it over tomorrow yes lets go to bed said aunt olympia later the girls came to know and to fear but excitingly this took look of aunt olympias Olymp las it signified that she had suddenly turned machiavellian had bad begun to play politics even the senator quailed before that look 11 on the next morning the girls were shocked to see that aunt olympia retained the tense rigidity that had come upon her so suddenly the night before she was quiet all morning not until they sat at luncheon did her expression change slowly then her features relaxed the left corner of her mouth went down her left eyelid went up to normal her pale blue eyes became childish bland and slightly vacuous since when she inquired presently in a voice of studied nonchalance 11 have grocery boys in iowa begun making deliveries in neckties and gloves for all the mild unconcern in her eyes she did not overlook that a sudden electric wave almost of warning aming 7 flashed briefly among the girls it was limpy who answered later when aunt olympia knew the girls better she would have known at once that because it was limpy who answered limpy was least involved in the query it was an act of unstudied teamwork a defense mechanism en entirely sisterly and natural unmentioned even between themselves that the girls had developed tor for their mutual good oh you mean brickl brick he the delivery boyl he owns the store I 1 said limpy he t really make the deliveries he leaves things here as a favors favor on his way home to luncheon he lives out this way they have a lovely house douse said helen belatedly they hired a florist landscaper to lay out their grounds theres still money in groceries darling concluded limpy how old are you limpy asked aunt olympia again with more pronounced casualness seventeen came promptly sixteen and a halt half says the bible corrected adele why auntie Aun tle oh I 1 just wondered wonder edl that evening when she again brought up the subject of their going with her to washington there was nothing nonchalant nothing casual U al about her she was taut in the throes of politics she listened intently sitting motionless with unchanging expression to helens halfhearted recital of the difficulties in their way in the first place they c could not make any move at all until limpy had finished this last term of high school soon enough you can come then said aunt olympia agreeably in the end it simmered down to two facts that while helen was obliged honestly to admit it was a marvelous opportunity tor for adele and limpy who were young and whose lives were still unplanned her own future lay right there in iowa where she already had her teachers certificate and that her sisters would not go east without her but theres a future beyond teaching school said aunt olympia theres the real future marriage every womans comans real career what eligible men have you in a one horse town like this you girls have the looks and the style and the personality to marry anybody anybody at all diplomats millionaires senators anybody at an all again she noted the faint flash half questioning halt half warning that glinted from girl to girl kven ven though I 1 dread separation from the girls said helen 1 I 1 see the advantages tor for them and 1 wish 1 I even urge them to go without me out said limpy together we stay or together we go added adele to tell you the truth girls aunt olympia began guardedly while I 1 love you devotedly and want you to come with me tor for yourselves alone still to tell the truth I 1 really need you it may be that you three girls young innocent pretty can be the senators salvation the senators salvation and my salvation politically you can be of great help the girls stared at her in startled silence then we dont know a thing about politics I 1 im the only one old enough to vote anyhow and it will be my first said helen its not your votes we need its your vote getting quality your pull aunt olympias left lid reduced her eye to a mere squint the senator comes up again this fall and hes got a tough fight on his hands she carrr warmed ed to her subject and do you know chos doing the senator all this dirt its a man the senator madel he simply made himl he was a small town preacher until the senator persuaded him to go 90 into politics Politic sl there was a split in our party and the governor was trying to get control and naturally the senator support him so he made a deal with the republicans and promised to support brother wilkie tor for governor if they would run him and they did and he was elected the senator planned his entire campaign for him he even put up the money most of it himself and got his friends to contribute the rest he taught him all the tricks he lent him our own publicity man the best campaign man that ever lived and what happened what did asked the girls breathlessly in one voice well two years ago when the senator had bad pledged himself to somebody else and asked wilkie the governor that Is to withdraw like a gentleman he do it it he ran again he used all the tricks the senator had taught him and our publicity man and won but if hes governor that interfere with the senator does it ali ah but now the bugs really got himl he wants to be senator he aims to be president some day we all know that he even deny it hes come out against the senator and is putting up the fight of his life to beat us at our own game but what could we do about it auntie not even I 1 could vote in your state you dont have to vote your looks will turn the trick your looks and your innocence and and your general pathos brother wilkie the governor that is the snake in the grass has seven of the most unspeakable little brats that ever lived he campaigns with them the senator put him aim up to it in the first place but hes running it into the ground he takes the whole kit and boodle of them right along with him and has them sit on the platform and eat peanuts and shout vote for papa the girls tried considerately but unsuccessfully to repress their laughter not being satisfied with the seven brats last campaign he dug up some old hag from someplace calls her his great aunt a wrinkled gnarled crippled old beldame bellame who hobbles around on a cane and pretends she cant hear without an ear trumpet he takes her stumping with him too and she bangs 0 on the back of the chair with lier her tin trumpet and shouts through it when he makes a good point my newy tell em levvy in my opinion its a megaphone to shout through and no ear trumpet at all and more I 1 dont believe ashes his aunt I 1 think he or that devil len hardesty dug her up out of some graveyard |